Survival of a Gypsy
by go.lindseyy
Summary: Lorelei has been on her own, besides her faithful companion Max, for over two months and just when she is ready to call it quits a man with a crossbow saves her. Now she is torn between continuing her search for her lost friends or starting a new life in a prison with people that are ready to call her family. Eventual Daryl/OC. Rated T for slight drug use and minor cursing.
1. Chapter 1

The sun is coming up. I can just make out the red streaked sky through the thick foliage. I lean my back against the trunk of a rather uncomfortable tree. 'Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning,' I think to myself, then proceed to think that there probably wasn't any sailors out there worrying about weather on the ocean right now. My stomach suddenly growls, and quite loudly judging by the way Maximus looks up at me, and I double over in pain from it cramping. The cramps were starting to get worse, they felt like teeth tearing through my insides, exactly how I'd think it'd feel if my body was literally eating itself.

"Its okay boy," I pat Max on the head. "I'll be okay."

I chant it a few more times I think hoping that I will start believing it myself. I drop my pack off my shoulder while sinking to my knees with it. On the very top was my very last box of granola bars; I had been saving them because they were my favorite, chocolate covered coconut. I rip open the box, then the individually wrapped bar and stick the bar in my mouth while I continue digging in my pack. I've finished munching my granola bar when I finally retrieve the last four packs of dog food I have.

"Gonna have to find a house to loot pretty soon, boy," I tell Maximus as I tear all four pouches open and dump them on the ground. He starts chomping away at the pile as I open another bar and begin to chomp on that myself. We hadn't found a house to ransack in a week, I was running low on water and I was desperate for a real bed to sleep in. I lean up against the tree while I finish off the box of granola bars. Max finishes his food in record time and sits down in front of me and just stares at me licking his chops.

"I don't got anything else Max," I tell him, giving him scratch under the chin. He used to be a pretty buff dog but since we've been separated from the rest of our group he's lost quite a bit of weight. And he's in serious need for a bath, the poor dog at one point had been white and now he's mostly brown from dirt and grime but a lot of it is dried blood especially around his muzzle. I pick up my bow and quiver and lay it across my lap so there will be room for Max to sit next to me. He curls up as close to my thigh as he can get, resting his head on top off my thigh.

The sun as brightened and it was starting to get a bit warmer, soon I will be sweating my ass off trekking through these damn trees. My stomach growls softly, like it was reminding me that it would not be silenced. I pull out a pack of cigarettes from the front pocket of my jeans and pull out my last joint, leaving my last two cigarettes for later. Quickly, I stuff all my garbage back into my pack before zipping it and slinging it onto my back. I just get stood up and was lighting the joint when suddenly Maximus's ears lay flat against his head and he growls very quietly.

"Fuck," I whisper as I, too, hear the faint rustling of the foliage caused from corpses forever wandering.

"Come," I add, even more of a whisper then before. I walk as silently as I can manage, continuing west following the sun's path in the sky. Maximus keeps close to my heels and his eyes alert.

Its been several hours, the sun shines from directly above me now, and I think I've finally lost the wanderer. I unhook a gallon jug of water from my waist and take a long drink from it. I only had one more full jug after this and my cottonmouth wasn't helping preserve any water. Max sits down and stares at me waiting for his own drink, from a side pocket of my pack I manage to slide out an old whip cream bowl. Max's tail whips back and forth when I drop the bowl and fill it to the top with water.

I untuck the rest of my joint from behind my ear and lit it so I can finish it while Max drinks. Its not the best tasting stuff I've found but at least I didn't cough up a lung with every hit. That always sends corpses stumbling in my direction. I smoke it down to almost nothing before I snub it out against a tree and stick it back into my pack of cigarettes. Max drinks the entire bowl of water, which makes me feel a bit guilty for not stopping and giving him some earlier, but I pick up the bowl and I'm stuffing it back into the pocket when there is a crash from behind me.

I have an arrow knocked and draw it back while Max's hackles rise and his lips curl in a silent growl. Even though I stand completely still, all of my senses in complete alert, when the corpse stumbles out from behind a tree I hesitate. Every time I see one all I do is remember the first time one stumbles out of nowhere and trips over its self trying to get to me. I shake away the flashback and release my arrow straight into the corpses' head. Max leaps forward and bites into its neck before fetching my arrow.

"Good boy," I whisper taking the arrow from him and nocking it a second time. The woods are insanely quiet, I really miss noises. I start walking still following the sun's path, Max follows me without having to say anything.

I hear rustling and at one point even the horrible moans of a corpse nearby. Suddenly, Max snarls and lunges past me where a corpse falls out of a bush he grabs it by the throat just as I let my arrow fly straight into its glazed over lifeless eye. Again Max pulls it out and returns it to me, and I nock it a third time. I start walking again but I only get a few steps when I trip over a branch laying on the ground and fall to my face. I have to bite my lip to keep from screaming, crying, and cussing my lungs out. I roll over and use the thick branch I tripped on to help myself up.

My first instinct is to whistle once to call Max and keep him close but I know the whistle will carry further then my voice so I just say his name through gritted teeth. He is on my heels regardless, as I should have known he would be, as I now limp my way forward. I sling my bow over my shoulder and stick my dirty arrow with the rest in my quiver, I figure using my pistol would be a bit easier. I really hate using the loud thing but desperate times cause for desperate measures. Every step is horrific, coupled with the fact I had no idea how many corpses were out there hunting me, I was really feeling desolate.

Finally after feels like months, but when I look at my watch its only been an hour since my last stop, I lean my back against a tree and take another long drink from the water jug. My ankle is killing me. I don't hear any noises around me at the moment so I take a chance to roll my pant leg up to look my ankle over. I have to untie my boot but I don't have the strength to pull it off, but I fold the sides down to see my ankle already turned blue and dark purple and its twice as big as the other one. Max's ears perk and he let's out a low growl, but for once I ignore him and reach for the hidden pocket that I keep my looted drugs in.

I pull out a large orange prescription bottle. Ever since the beginning of the end, after we left the bomb shelter, my friends and I kept an eye out for marijuana. It wasn't until we came across a Mr. Merle Dixon that we started saving other types of drugs we came across. For awhile he was even our biggest customer, trading pills for fresh meat, fresh water, ammo, or whatever he had we wanted. And there was a few other groups or individuals we came across that was happy to see what we had to trade. Merle was a smart man, untrustworthy, slimy, and a bit of a sadist, but a smart man.

"Whatever kind of shit hits the fan you can always rely on two things, Lil Miss," he told me the last time I had ran across him, which had only been a few days after Max and I got separated from everyone else.

"And what would they be, Dixon?" I inquired with a slight smile.

"There will be people that want drugs and people that have drugs," he chuckled tucking the orange bottle I had gave him into his pocket.

"Ever thought you'd be on the other side?" I asked as I picked meat of of the squirrel he had cooked for us.

He just laughed and patted me on the head, he was always condescending like that, especially to me. It would drive Dylan up the wall but I would just shrug it off, at least he wasn't hitting me. The last I had seen of Merle was his back as he left me and Max alone.

Max growled again, bring my attention back to the present, I quickly looked around and didn't see a corpse baring down on me so I figured I still had a minute. I open the pill bottle and dump four of the yellow pills into my hand before throwing them into my mouth. I take another swig to wash them down, stick the bottle into the pocket on my skirt before tying my boot again as tight as I can get it. I hope that my boot will stop my ankle from swelling anymore and thankfully, it doesn't take long until I feel my stomach churn as the pain killers kick in.

Eventually, the sun drops and we are stuck walking blindly in the dark. The moon is almost full so at least it shines enough light on us that I would be able to see a corpse in enough time to hopefully take it out. Normally as soon as the sun set I would climb a tree and sleep up in the branches but with my ankle swelled I knew I wouldn't have a chance climbing. I stopped one more time to swallow another couple pills, they really helped numb the pain in my ankle and I needed all the help I could get. 'Just make it through the night,' I repeat over and over in my head, not daring to speak out loud.

The night drags on and I just get weaker. Every step I take I rely even more on my walking stick. I dig the prescription bottle back out of my bag and swallow a few more pain pills. This time they don't make my stomach churn nearly as bad as the first hand full I swallowed but they definitely start to affect my head. I think I can see the sky getting a little lighter when I finally have to just stop. I ease myself onto the ground and gather some forest debris about me to cover my legs. I really hope the sudden drop in temperature signals that it is in fact the sun coming up. I remove my pack and bow off of my back and lay down, still clutching my pistol in my right hand.

"Watch it, Max," I mutter as I cover more of my body in dead leaves and let my mind succumb to the pill high.


	2. Chapter 2

Its real nice to get out of that prison for awhile, get away from all the politics. That was one good thing traveling with Merle, it was always his way or the highway. No need for a bunch of whiney ass people wanting to do something different, most of the time irrational. But the best part of getting away was I got the chance of pretending there wasn't a shit load of people out there relying on me. Its really been the one thing that's been the hardest to get used to. Nobody has ever relayed on me before.

Usually I would be out here on Merle's Harley but ever since he died I can't even look at the damn thing. I actually wish I still had my truck but honestly the bike was a bit easier on gas. I really hadn't planned on going on a raid, I just wanted to get out a minute, but there was no point in just wasting gas just to escape. I don't find much of anything, I do come up with a few more cans of baby formula which is something close to gold nowadays.

Everything thing was pretty quiet while I wandered from house to house looking about for anything useful. It was rare for a walker to catch me off guard anymore, really. And my drive back to the prison I've only seen only passed through one horde mingling in the road. The speed odometer just hits 85 mph when I round a corner and hit the brakes.

Sitting in the middle of the road is a rather large shape. At first I just think its half of a walker but my speed slows a bit more as I get closer and slowly it starts to transform into the shape of a dog. I end up at a complete stop about a two feet in front of it and I get a good look of the animal. Its a large pit bull by guessing from shape of its head, its fur is stained with old blood but its muzzle is almost dripping with fresh blood. I sit there staring at the creature for a few minutes when it finally stands up and trots over to my door. It sits back down right outside my door and stretches his paw out to rest on the door handle.

I reach out for my crossbow, cocking back the bolt, and wrapping my finger around the trigger. The dog sits with his paw on the car for a minute before standing up again and walking slowly towards the tree line where it sits again and staring intently at me. 'Fuck,' I think to myself as I open the car door and slide out with my crossbow. I very quietly close the door behind me before walking carefully towards the dog. He jumps to his feet as I get closer and dances around my feet.

"Calm down boy," I say to the animal trying to give it a pat on the head but he dodges my hand and takes off into the woods.

I figure I don't have anything else to loose and trot after the dog. I follow it for a good hour and a half before it finally stops next to a pile of random forest debris. I spin around looking out for any sign of a trap or ambush but see nothing out of the ordinary except maybe the dead walker with its throat ripped out. I turn back to the dog and see that its uncovered a small hand with white painted fingernails. The dog is stretched out next to the rest of the pile with his nose resting underneath the hand. I rub my neck as I stare back into the dog's suddenly almost tearful eyes.

"Alright boy," I mutter out loud and drop to my knee next to him. I wipe away the debris to reveal a pretty girl, she's laying on her back with her dark green eyes open staring up blindly. She's got wad of dreaded dark brown hair piled on the top of her head and tied with a bright green ribbon.

I quickly check her pulse to make sure she wasn't about to turn on me but as soon as I grab her cool wrist her eyes twitch in my direction, she simply blinks looking straight through me. I clear away the rest of the debris and attempt to set her up right against a tree but her hands fly up in front of her and she pushes away from me. I put my hands up slowly when I notice the gun she has gripped in her hand.

"Easy now," I say calmly, looking her over. She's got on a long sleeve tye-dyed that's tattered and worn pretty thin and she has a patch work skirt wadded up around her knees with a holey pair of jeans underneath. The girl looks around as if she didn't understand why she was hearing voices. "I ain't gonna hurt yah,"

The girl blinks rapidly and when she stops I see a faint hint of consciousness in the girl's eyes. She reaches out with the hand not holding the gun and drops a bottle on the ground in front of me. I pick it up and look inside to see a mixture of random pills and I shake my head understanding what was wrong with her. She shakes her head like she's trying to shake the fog out of her head then slowly she struggles up into a sitting position. I gingerly reach out to put my arm against her back to help support her as she carefully rolls up her pant leg showing me her severely swollen ankle.

"If I was going to die," I hear her whisper very quietly, her voice very hoarse. "I was not going to suffer."

She chuckles still very quiet and slowly her body slumps against my chest. I quickly slid the gun out of her hand and check the clip, it was still fully loaded, so I slip it into the band of my jeans. I sling my crossbow over my shoulder before slipping my arm under her knees and pick her up as I rise back to my feet. Once I've stood up I notice a opened back pack and a bow and quiver on the ground next to where she had been laying. I shift the girl's weight and start to bend over to grab her stuff but her dog quickly snaps the stuff up in his jaws.

I lead the way back to the road and the dog does a good job keeping up with my pace. Every once in awhile the girl's eyes will open and she'll stare right through me, mumble something I can't hear and then fall back asleep. Her hand, though, continuously rubs against my shoulder. It seems a lot quicker getting back to the road then it was leaving but I suppose I did keep a pretty steady pace trying to get back as soon as possible.

I get back to the car and carefully lower the girls legs down and lean her against the trunk. She leaves her hand on my shoulder and tightly grips my vest, I chuckle lightly just thinking about the small girl's seemly tough grip and imagining her actually trying to hurt someone. I get the back door open and help her set down onto the seat her grip tightens for a moment and her eyes fly open.

"Whoa," I say slowly placing my hands on her shoulders. "Ain't nothing gonna get yah."

"Max," she whispers, looking at me but not.

"My names Daryl," I tell her calmly. She shakes her head and tries to push me away and stand up, but I grab her waist and make her stay sitting.

"The dog," her voice is still just a whisper but this time there is a hint of panic.

Suddenly, the dog pushes his head in between us and lays his head on her lap. The girl smiles sadly and slowly pets the dog on the head, starting at the top of his brow and down is neck over and over again.

"We gotta go," I tell her, slightly hesitant to interrupt whatever kind of moment she was having.

"Is it safe?" She asks, her voice slightly stronger.

"Its been so far," I reply with a shrug but she doesn't even look up from her dog. I pick up her legs, carefully, and slid them into the car door. She looks up then, and she raises her hand to gently brush my cheek before laying herself down completely, curling her legs up on the seat with her swollen ankle on the top.

"Maximus has shotgun," she informs me dragging her finger up and down against the back of the passenger seat. I open the driver's door and hold it open for the dog that I know assume to be Maximus. He jumps in and sits down in the passenger seat dropping his burden on the floor in front of him.

Carol and Maggie are at the gate when I finally make it back to the prison, I note both of their confused stares at Max riding shotgun. I continue up all the way up to where we had the rest of the vehicles parked with out stopping for any questions. As soon as I climb out of the car Max is out behind me, he spins around chasing his tail for a second before jumping up against the back door.

"Cool dog!" I hear from behind me and see Carl and a few of the other children headed our way. I step side ways blocking the kid's path, not knowing how the large dog would react to a swarm of children or the children reacting to the sight of the blood stained pit.

"Just run along for now," I tell them dismissively and they all groan in unison before shuffling away. "Carl, maybe you should find me your dad."

Carl nods understanding and runs off towards their little garden area. I turn back around and get the back door open from around Max. The girl is awake, still laying in the seat, or at least her eyes remain open. Gently, I pat her leg to try to get her attention and it seems to work because her gaze turns in my direction.

"Can ya get out by yerself?" I ask holding my hand towards her to offer her some support. She slaps it away and struggles upright, using the head rest in front of her completely for support. "She always like this?" I ask the dog jokingly. Neither one of them say anything but I hear footsteps behind me and see both Rick and Hershel coming my way.

"Carl said you wanted to talk," Rick says, removing her leather gloves. "And that you've got a dog."

"Dog ain't mine," I say roughly and point to the car. "He led me to her though. I think she's got a broken ankle."

Hershel limps past me and leans into the back door where the girl just stares at him. She's got herself pulled into the very corner of the back seat, she's almost like a cornered animal.

"And it looks like she's about starved to death," he mumbles. Louder though he's says to the frightened girl, "you don't have to be scared anymore."

I see her take a deep breath from the back window, her gaze stares back out at me, I'm slightly surprised to see them alert this time instead of glazed over and looking half dead. I walk to the other side of the car, the dog following right behind me, and slowly open up the back door, ready to catch her if she falls out. But she must be using all her strength to grip the head seat because she don't even budge when the door opens.

"I'm hungry," her gaze as followed me to the door and she whispers to me.

"We can help with that," I tell her, keeping my voice low. I can see the wheels turning her head as she debates her only options, she makes her decision and slowly lifts her swollen ankle out of the car and tries to stand. I don't offer any help this time but her hand automatically goes to my shoulder to steady herself as she wobbles slightly. We make it around to where Rick and Hershel waited and watched.

"Can you tell us what your name is?" Rick asks kindly. The girl leans back against the trunk but leaves her hand resting on my shoulder. I see the awareness leave her eyes and she just blinks in response to Rick's question.

"She must be in shock," the old man says limping closer to her. I don't say anything, there was no reason to bring up the bottle of pain killers I had stuffed in my pocket, I planned on saying something to the girl once her mind cleared.

"Let's find her a cell and I'll send Dr. S up to check on her," Rick says, turning around and walking back the way he had came. Hershel watches him walk away but don't say anything.

"Can yah walk?" I ask the girl who has taken to staring blankly at Hershel instead of myself. She just blinks so I just pick her up in my arms and head into the prison, her dog at my heels and Hershel follows behind it.

"He's got a mighty fancy mustache," I hear her chuckle into my ear.

"Yeah," I laugh quietly. "I suppose he does."

"I don't mean to brag but I've got a pretty swell mustache myself," I turn my head slightly to see her face and she's got her index finger curled under her nose with a faded mustache tattooed on it. I can't help laughing out loud, she smiles widely and lays her head on my shoulder.

"Classic," she whispers before I see her eyes close and she falls asleep. I follow behind the old man, he leads me to the cell block the Woodbury residents have moved into. We pick a cell further away from everyone, I lay her down on top of the blanket. As soon as I step back Hershel has her skirt folded up and cuts her jeans with a pair of scissors. I leave just as the doctor comes in and starts asking Hershel a shit load of medical questions, half of them I don't even understand. I stomp back out to the car but I see the trunk already popped and Glenn is unloading the bags of supplies I had brought back.

"Its good you found more formula," he says when he sees me walk up. "Beth has been having a hard time keeping the kid full."

"Yeah I figured we couldn't have too much of the stuff," I shrug. People were always thanking me for just doing shit just to survive. I close the trunk and from the back window I see part of the girl's bow. I help Glenn carrying the bags inside where everyone in the block pounce on them like a walker does on flesh. While they are busy ripping through the new supplies I sneak back outside to bring the girl her weapon and back pack. The doctor and old man are still busy talking about the girl's ankle so I just drop the stuff just inside the cell door and head back outside to find something to do.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm conscious before I actually wake up. The first thing I am aware of is that I am no longer laying in the woods somewhere, the second thing is my ankle is killing me, and the third is that Max's breath really really stinks. I stretch my hand out to feel for Max's head, I find it just inches from my face which explains the moist air blowing on me as well, and push him away.

"Go away," I manage to whisper hoarsely. My throat is extremely dry and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth like glue.

"Good, you're awake," I hear a voice come from close by and I am then totally aware that I'm not alone. I use all of my remaining strength to push myself into a sitting position, I feel a cool rough wall behind me and I lean back against it to help keep myself upright. Then I finally open my eyes and take a look at me surroundings.

I'm in a cell of some sort, a prison cell would be my guess but then again I have never been inside of a prison so its only a guess really. There is only one bed built right into the wall and there's a small table built into the wall across from me. Max looks up at me from where he had laid down on the floor and I'm glad to see he's perfectly fine, other then still being rather filthy. And finally I look over to see an Indian man sitting on a small stool, blocking an chance of an exit.

"I'm Dr. Caleb Subramanian," the man says after several minutes of me just staring at him.

"Am I being held here?" I ask my voice just above a whisper. The man seems to be friendly but honestly, you need to be just as wary about the living as you had to be about the dead.

"Of course not," the doctor says standing up. "You were found in the woods with a fractured ankle and severely malnourished. Rick, or Daryl, or someone will want to know you are awake to come talk to you. I'm just the doctor and you should be fine if you stay off that ankle for a few days."

He disappears out the cell door leaving Max and myself alone. I lift my skirt up some and see that my left boot is gone and my jeans have been cut at the middle of my shin. My ankle is black and blue and at least three times bigger then my right ankle. I sigh and lean my head back against the wall, I vaguely remember being carried out of the woods and being in the back of a car. Max sits up and lays his large head on the edge of the bed to stare at me. I pet him absently as I lean forward to look for my personal belongings. I see my bow and quiver laying on top of the table and I let out a sigh of relief, I would just die if I had lost them. My backpack is on the ground next to my feet, I slide forward enough on the bed so I can pick the bag up by its slightly slimy handle. Setting the pack on my lap I start going through it, everything seems to still be in there including my granola bar garbage, but when I open my secret drug pocket I see my prescription bottle is missing.

"Goddammit," I mutter then a thought hits me and my hand flies to my hip to find my holster is also empty. I zip my bag back up and throw it to the ground angrily. I don't know what would be worse, if I lost them in the woods or if whoever had drug me out of there took them. I lean my head back against the wall and stare blankly at the wall in front of me. There's a knock at the cell door that scares the crap out of me making me jump about three feet in the air. A man walks in and sits down on the stool the doctor had been sitting on, he's a rough looking guy with a serious five o'clock shadow. He's got a strong, intimidating presence and I take him to be the man in charge.

"My name is Rick Grimes," he says offering me his hand to shake. Max stands up and sniffs around the man's feet, then lays down with his head on top of my foot.

"I'm Lorelei Lee," I take his hand and shake it, his grip is slightly stronger then my own. His name sounds familiar but I can't place where I would have possibly heard it before. "And this here is Maximus."

"He seems like a pretty smart dog," he says looking Max over.

"He is," I smile down at the dog. "And he's really friendly, I know he looks scary but he's totally used to kids crawling on him. He would never harm anyone with out reason."

Rick Grimes nods his head, thoughtfully before speaking again, "are you planning on hanging around?"

I shrug my shoulders and absentmindedly pick at a seam on my skirt. I honestly had no plans anymore. All I wanted to do was find Dylan and Meggie and everyone else but after being gone so long I wonder if they are even still trying to find me. They were my family, the only people on the planet that have ever given a damn about me and I didn't know if any of them was still alive. I look up at this intimidating stranger and wonder if its even possible for me to let go and move on.

"I had a group," I start quietly, avoiding his piercing gaze. "The six of us, well seven counting dear Maximus, have been together since the beginning of The End."

"That's an accomplishment," he interrupts kindly. "Making it this long with out losing anyone."

"Well," I smile sadly. "At first there was more of us. Almost thirty but a few died within the first few days, from bites or they just, turned. I don't know really what happened Mr. Anderson kept it separate from the rest of us really. But we drug them outside and dug holes to give them a proper burial, Zoe insisted on it. Dylan's dad was an ex Marine and had a bomb shelter fully stocked with survival gear. We lived for months on dehydrated food. And let me tell you what, if I ever have to eat powdered eggs again in my life, it'll still be too soon."

Rick laughs and leans back a bit on the stool, I hope to get comfortable because I wasn't close to being done.

"But eventually the food ran out and we would go out looting nearby houses," my eyes darken a bit as I remember the first time stepping foot back in my father's house. I shake my head and decide I didn't need to relive everything, I really didn't need to break down in tears in front of this guy. "We lost a few people then too some people really weren't cut out for surviving an apocalypse, ya know? Anyways, eventually Mr. Anderson decided we need to move, he said that it was pointless staying there, that there was nobody coming to save us. Sometimes I wonder if he had know what what happen if he wouldn't have made us leave. There was probably only twenty so of us left at that point but we only made it a few months before a horde got us. Only the six of us made it out."

I don't say anything for a few minutes, I don't know why I think partly because I wanted him to say something for a minute. But he let's me sit in silence and regroup with my thoughts. "We made it because we had been out trying to scout a place to sleep. To be completely honest though, I was so happy it was us that did make it. Meggie and Caroline at my very best friends on this planet and well Dylan has always kind of looked after me," I pause again and refuse to look anywhere else but my hands folded in my lap because of the tears threatening my eyes.

"Its been over two months since Max and I got separated from them, I've looked and looked but I didn't know where we were to begin with and it was dark when I ran from the horde. I thought I was making it just fine on my own but I don't do very well by myself," I tap my temple once before adding, "too many demons in here I suppose."

Still he doesn't say anything, just let me dwell for a moment. I sigh loudly and quickly wipe away a tear before raising my head and looking at the man. "I can be useful," I tell him. "I can hunt when there is game around, I studied archery in high school and it was a hobby for me since then. And Max here he can chew on a corpse's face all day long and not get infected."

Before I can list anymore assets I can add to his group Rick raises his hand to silence me. He scratches his chin for a second then leans forward placing his elbows on his knees. "I've got three questions, you answer them and I'll talk it over with the council," he tells me.

I start to argue but bite my lip, I'll see what the questions are then ask about this council, and for a glass of water.

"How many walkers have you killed?" Is his first question, and I assume walkers is their term for the dead.

I think for a minute and briefly try to count them up in my head. "I don't know, I've lost count really, I don't know if I've ever really tried to keep count," I shrug dismissively.

He don't give me any indication on whether or not I've answered correctly and instead asks his next question, "how many people have you killed?"

I raise my eyebrow at the second question, but then I could see why it was a necessary question. "Two," I reply my voice failing me and it comes out as a very hoarse whisper.

"Why?"

I had seen the question coming but I still wasn't expecting it. The tears that had been threatening my eyes disappear all together. I grit my teeth and look him in the eyes. "I'm not going to lie and say I hadn't thought about putting a bullet in her head before, but I did, a lot," I pause but I don't turn my eyes away. I swallow a couple times trying to relieve the dryness in my throat. His expression doesn't change and trying to meet his hard stare starts to make me a bit uneasy.

"When Mr. Anderson finally allowed us to leave the shelter he insisted I go check on my stepmother and father," I pause again, I realize I've never told anyone this. Dylan and Freddie had been there but I had made them wait outside. "I hadn't stepped foot in that house in nine years but it looked just the same. I had gone upstairs first, I think to see if my room was still intact but I heard something in my parent's bedroom. When I opened the door there was my father, I had always thought he smelled bad but this was different. He was dead, that was obvious, but yet he still tried to come for me."

I finally drop my eyes and stare at my hands. Rick still had the same look in his eyes, it wasn't mean or judgmental just real observant. "That was the first time I had seen a corpse up close but I didn't hesitate even if he had been my dad. Downstairs is where I found my step ma, she was sitting at the kitchen table with her crossword book and a glass of whiskey. I actually tried to get her to come back with me but she resisted, then when she stood up and back handed me across the face and called me those awful names she used to yell at me. Well, I shot her and it was over with."

I look back up and he's still just staring at me. I chew on the inside of my lip and think of something else to say. Finally I see a flash in Rick's eyes and he moves, reclining again on the stool.

"What about the other one?" He finally speaks. "You had said two."

I nod my head, I had said two. "Technically, I guess Mr. Anderson doesn't really count, buts its weighed heavy on my soul. He had already been bit, got bit and still took down thirteen corpses," I smile faintly. "I found him covered in his blood and the blood from the dead laying under a picnic table. I wanted to go back to get Grayson and Dylan but he made me stay, said it was almost over and I had to be there to put him down. I didn't want to but he said it was my duty."

I had cried so hard that night, poor Mr. Anderson had patted my knee to comfort me. The man was dying and he was telling me it would be alright. 'You are a good girl, Lorelei,' he had told me. 'God won't judge you for this.'

'What about all the other commandments I've broken?' I asked him wiping my nose on my sleeve.

'Celia and I offered to adopt you when you were only ten,' he said completely changing the subject. I knew the man wouldn't have much longer, his breathing was irregular and he just stared straight up at the stars. 'Your dad even thought about it but it was you step mother that slammed the door in our faces,' his breath hitched and for a second I had thought it was over but he blinked and carried on, 'if I had known what had been going on in that house Lorelei I would have came to get you.'

'Thank you Mr. Anderson,' I smiled sadly. 'That means the world to me hearing you say that.'

He patted my knee again and I knew it was over, I gave him a quick kiss on his forehead before standing up. I closed my eyes when I let the arrow loose but I knew it had found its mark, they always do, and I turned around never looking back.

A hand touches my knee gently and I force myself back to the present. Rick has stood up and I have missed someone bringing in a bowl of food and a large glass of water. On the floor I see there is also two bowls placed for Max, one filled with scraps and the other with water.

"I'll go talk to the council, you two rest and eat," he tells me heading for the door. "I'll ask someone to come up in a bit to see if you are still hungry."

He leaves and I waste no time digging into my bowl, Max follows my lead with his own. The bowl consists mostly of what looks like oatmeal with some vegetables and chunks of meat floating in it. The veggies seem to be canned which is fine with me, much better then dehydrated, and the meat I guess is rabbit from the greasy texture. I all but lick my bowl clean and chug the glass of water in two whole drinks before setting the plate onto the table and picking my bag back up. I didn't know how long they would leave me alone here but I really wanted something to calm my nerves down a bit. I dig my pipe out and the canning jar I keep my stash in; its been getting pretty low, I haven't found any in quite awhile. It was a bit easier finding stuff when we were closer to Atlanta, raiding suburban homes that used to house pill popping housewives and rebellious teenagers. There was the one old farmhouse we found a few months back that some old man had been growing in, he had quite a stash but most houses in the country have stashes of canned goods.

"You keep watch for me Max," I tell the dog. He just tilts his head at me and I see his tail wag.

"Watch it," I tell him sternly and his tail wags again as he turns around and lays down facing the cell door. "Good boy," I say as I fill my pipe and lay back down onto the bed.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey!" I hear someone shouting. I don't look up from cleaning my cross bow, figuring if they were talking to me they would let me know. I fight back the urge to groan as footsteps get closer and I hear Glenn say my name. He squats down to where I'm sitting with my un-assembled weapon.

"That girl you found is awake and Hershel wants to have a meeting, I guess Rick has already spoke to her," he tells me before standing and walking back. That was one nice thing about the kid, he never just wanted to chat. I take my time to finish cleaning and reassemble my cross bow before rising to my feet and slinging my shoulder through the strap.

I was mildly curious about the girl, I still had her pistol and her pill bottle. I had gone up to see her once but she was still asleep, her dog seen me though and came over to say 'hi.' Which consisted of him dancing around my feet and licking my hand. I had wanted a chance to ask her about the pills before I had to go to one of these stupid meetings. She had said she took them so if she had been overwhelmed she wouldn't feel anything but I wasn't sure if we could really afford to trust a druggie. Any other internal problem I would have he always went to Carol to talk with. She never judged me, sometimes it was kind of nice but most of the time it just seemed to get on my nerves. I'm the last "member", as they liked to call us, in the room Hershel liked to have these little meetings in. Everyone turns to stare at me when I let the door slam shut behind me.

"Join us Daryl," the old man says motioning to a seat at the table but I just lean my back against the wall next to door. "We are here to discuss whether or not we let the young lady Daryl found stay here with us."

"Does she even want to stay?" Sasha asks.

"She begged me to let them stay," Rick answers, its odd to actually see him at one of these things.

"Them?" Sasha asks. "I thought it was just some girl."

"She's got a dog," I explain. "Pretty loyal dog from what I've seen."

"She promised me that her dog is well trained," Rick adds.

"What is her name?" Carol asks, of course she would think of the most logical question.

"Lorelei Lee, she said," Rick replies, then adds, "she also said she could be a great asset, that she is very skilled with a bow"

"If she's a skilled shot then why was she as skinny as she was?" Glenn finally speaks.

"She didn't say, just that she and her dog have been alone for two months or more," Rick answers.

"Two months is a long to to make it on your own like that," Sasha says, slightly impressed.

"How'd she answer your other questions?" I ask looking right at Rick.

"Well enough I think we should give her a chance," Rick say looking right at me. "There was something that she seemed to want to hide, I didn't pry it seemed like a very tender subject."

"What about her ankle?" I ask shifting my eyes to Hershel.

"Dr. S said she needs to stay off it for at least three days to a week," he tells me. "It was only a sprain."

"Then we need to at least give her that time," Carol says like someone should have brought that up from the beginning.

"I agree," Hershel says.

"I agree," Glenn.

"I agree," Sasha.

"Well I guess that's all of us," I say, throwing the door open and slipping outside. I let a small smile slip as I walk away. I keep my head down as I walk, not paying attention at all to where I'm going, when a slightly familiar smell hits me and I stop in my tracks. I take a look around, I found myself back into the cells where the people from Woodbury live. I get to the cell where I figured I would find the girl, Lorelei Lee. Her dog meets me at the cell door happily sniffing my jeans and licking my hand while I see the girl is awake, laying on her stomach facing away from the cell door.

"What're ya doin?" I ask roughly stepping into the cell. The girl jumps and nearly falls off the small bed but saves herself and manages to sit up.

"Jesus Christ Max!" She almost shouts. "You are the worst look out in history!"

I see her stuff something underneath the tiny pillow that's on all the bunks. I scoot the stool closer to me with my boot and sit down, the dog lays down by my feet. She watches me warily with her slightly blood shot eyes. I pull her pill bottle out of my pocket and toss it next to her on the bed. She doesn't acknowledge the bottle but instead meets my gaze with narrowed eyes.

She finally breaks the staring competition and sighs, picking the bottle up and stuffing it into her backpack. "I've collected these from houses I've looted to barter for things I can use," she tells me. "Gotta say though, they kind of saved my life, not as much as you did though." She kind of mumbles the last part and doesn't look up from her backpack.

"Yeah well, couldn't have just left ya there like that," I mutter in response.

She laughs, "you could have very easily." She meets my gaze again , this time with a slight smile on her lips. "But you didn't and for that I will forever be in your debt. My name is Lorelei, by the way."

"Daryl," I say not sure if she remembered me telling her before.

"Daryl," she mumbles lowly, almost like she forgot I'm even in the room. She's quiet for a second before her jaw drops and she stares hard at me. "Daryl Dixon?"

My eyebrow raises slightly. "Yeah," I answer.

"I know your brother," she exclaims and I fight the urge to flinch. "Wow you look a lot like him. He's been worried about you, have you two found each other?"

I nod my head once before I can find my voice to answer her. "Merle died," is all I say and her face falls.

"No!" I'm slightly surprised to see she actually sheds a tear. "I mean I'm sure he had it coming but still I just can't believe it. Are you sure?"

I chuckle slightly out of nervousness mostly. "Yeah I'm sure," I say trying not to think about that day I found Merle.

She's silent for awhile and I almost ask what it is she is thinking about but I refrain. Finally, she reaches underneath her pillow and pulls out a small blue pipe and a lighter. She still doesn't say a word as she lights it, takes a hit, and hands it to me.

"Come on," she insists, blowing out a cloud of smoke, when I don't reach for it right away. "Its just weed."

I take the pipe, its a dark blue color swirled with lighter blues and a single white streak, I spin the pipe in my hand looking it over. It has been quite awhile since I've even seen marijuana let alone been offered some to smoke. Merle never had a problem getting his hands on anything that would get him high.

"You don't have to," she interrupts my thoughts. I look up from the pipe to see her staring at me with a slight smile. "I don't want to put any pressure on you, this isn't high school, and you are an adult."

Her smile widens when I lift the pipe to my mouth and light the bowl. It had already been half burnt when I take my first hit so we only pass it a couple times before its completely cashed. She knocks the ashes into her hand and blows them into the corner of the cell before picking up her bag and stuffing the pipe into a pocket on the side.

"Wanna cigarette?" She asks pulling out a crumple red pack from a pocket on her skirt. She take one out and lights it then offers me the pack and lighter. "Its my last one but you did save my life so I guess I can share."

I ignore the wink she gives me but I slide out her last cigarette and light it. The cigarette is drier then dirt but they all taste like that now a days, but I guess it only makes it easier in not having a craving for one. She holds her hand out for her lighter I assume but she takes the empty pack and her lighter.

"I don't like to litter," she explains with a small smile as she stuffs the pack into the top of her bag. "I know, the world has ended and I don't want to pollute."

She leans forward to flick the ash off her cigarette on to the corner of the metal table. "You don't do much talking huh?" She asks with a smile.

"Only when I have something to say," I answer flicking my cigarette into my hand and smearing the ash onto the knee of my jeans.

"So this isn't some interrogation?" Her smile just gets bigger.

I can't help but smile slightly myself. "So you mean to tell me that you'd offer drugs to your interrogator ?"

She laughs loudly, flicking her cigarette again on top of the table. "It was supposed to be like a peace offering," she says still chuckling. "You know, smoke'm peace pipe? Plus, you didn't have to smoke it."

She had a point. I don't say anything and for the first time she, too, remains silent. I watch her for a few minutes, she stares almost blindly down at her cigarette. She takes a couple drags but she doesn't flick it again causing the ash to get dangerously long. Every time she raises her hand out of her lap I expect to see the ash fall onto her skirt.

"How did it happen?" She asks breaking the silence and finally flicking the ash of her cigarette into the pile on the table.. "Merle?"

"He was shot, in the chest," I flick my cigarette again. "He had already turned when I found him."

"You think someone gunned him down?" She asks, actually sounding a bit sad. I just shrug my shoulders, I didn't really feel up to telling her the whole story leading up to when I found Merle. "Probably huh? Merle didn't have too many friends, right?"

She smiles at me while taking a drag from her cigarette, when I don't reply she just keeps talking "he saved my butt a couple times, and he was civil towards me. Sometimes, I even thought he liked me, not like that, mostly I think I amused him. I'm pretty disappointed that I won't ever run into him again, was starting to enjoy our random run ins actually."

"Good to hear someone will miss him," I say gruffly.

She just laughs lightly and smiles again. "So do you know if I'll be able to stay?" She asks, her voice falling and again she averts her eyes.

I almost laugh, I figure this has been the real question that's been weighing on her mind. "Yeah we talked about it," I say, her eyes dart back to mine and I see another question in them. "Yah gotta at least let that ankle heal up."

She chews on her lip for a second before nodding. "Makes sense," she smiles but it don't reach her eyes. "Thanks."

"Oh here you are Daryl," Carol's voice comes from behind me. "I was wondering where you ran off to."

I snuff out the cigarette on the bottom of my boot then rise to my feet. Carol and Hershel are standing at the cell door, Carol with a bowl of food. She's smiling kindly at me and I don't know what to say.

"Hello," Lorelei says, almost like she didn't want to be left out. Carol smiles a bit wider at me before brushing past me to hand the bowl of food to Lorelei.

"Just in case you were still hungry," she explains kindly.

"Thanks!" I can hear the grin in Lorelei's voice. Max had stood up when I did but now he, too, pushes past me most likely to beg for a scrap.

I half turn back towards the girl. "See yah 'round," I mutter before leaving the overfull cell. I make it all the way outside before I hear Carol's footsteps following me. She catches up to me then falls into step but don't say anything. I stop walking at the little kitchen area Carol and some of the other women have set up and start pouring some of the gruel they have made with the rabbits and squirrels I manage to kill. With the added people from Woodbury are supplies have been running a little low, but things should start to get easier once Rick's crops start to come in. I was really starting to get the munchies, and I really wanted something to drink.

"Is everything okay Daryl?" Carol finally asks.

"Everythin's fine,"I mumble.

"Well," she pats my shoulder. "You know where I am."

I watch her walk away, sometimes I just didn't understand what she wants from me. I sit down at a table underneath the makeshift canopy and start shoveling in my food. Things were really starting to come together around here, the other survivors from Woodbury were getting along pretty good and with Lorelei we've accepted two other survivors we've found out wandering alone. Only once has a group decided to make it on their own instead of joining ours. I finish my food and drop the bowl in the wash bucket by the stove. I need something productive to do so I head down to the fence where there always seemed to be a stock pile of walkers to kill.


	5. Chapter 5

I stare at the door after Daryl leaves suddenly. I wonder if maybe I said something to offend him, I do have a tendency to do that, a lot. But after the nice lady that brought me more food introduces herself as Carol then quickly excuses herself, I have a feeling that Daryl's leaving didn't have anything to do with myself. The older man with the beard smiles kindly at Carol as slips past him then he limps further into the cell and sits down.

"How is your ankle doing?" He asks me. I quickly chew the mouthful of the mush I had just stuffed into my mouth.

"Much better," I get out without spitting any food at him. "Another day and I think I will be able to get out of you guy's hair."

He chuckles, his stomach even jiggles a bit with his laugh and I know I'm going to like this guy. "Its going to take more then a couple days before you will be able to walk on that ankle again," he tells me and I start to think I may have jumped the gun on liking the guy. I fish out a chunk of the meat and toss it to Max, who catches it out of the air.

"Then what?" I ask sadly.

"Rick said you got separated from some friends of yours," he says. So he must be part of the council Rick Grimes had spoke about. Just like I suspected Daryl Dixon to be a member of.

"Yeah, I do, and I would give anything to be with them again," I say and I meant it.

"But?"

"But," my bottom lip trembles and I know if I keep talking there will be tears. "Please don't make me go back out there by myself."

Sure enough before I even finish my sentence I'm crying. The old man gets a real sympathetic look on his face, I figure he must have daughters or even granddaughters. He gets up from the stool and sits next to me on the bed, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I know its meant to be a kind gesture but I just kind of freeze, I don't do touching well. I've just gotten used to Caroline touching me and I've known her for almost 8 years now.

"I'm okay," I say, wiping my nose on the inside of the neck of my shirt. "I think I'm just tired"

"I'll get out of you hair," he smiles and pats my shoulder affectionately as he stands up. "My name is Hershel and if you need any help you let me know."

"Thank you," I say, not bothering to ask how I'm supposed to let him know anything when I'm not supposed to walk on my ankle. I stare down at my bowl and wait for him to leave before dropping it onto the floor to let Max finish it. I had lost my appetite really but mostly I just wanted to lay down.

...

I wake up some time later, with the sensation of having to use the bathroom that I just can't seem to ignore. I check my watch and it says its 9 o'clock so I assume its in the PM. I sit up and light my lighter so I can see better, on the table there is another bowl of food and my two empty ones are gone. I wonder how many people can be living here that they can afford to make three meals a day, or if its just something special for me. The doctor had said I was severely malnourished which was probably caused from me living off granola bars these last two months.

I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and try to stand up but pain shoots up from my ankle and I fall back on the bed. I take a deep breath and try again, this time only on my working foot, and I stay up. I didn't know if it alright that I use the metal toilet in here but I wasn't limping my way outside to go. I manage to get to the toilet and back without falling down or crumpling from the pain. As soon as I'm seated again I grab the bowl of the table and dig in. Its cold but food is food and I just shovel it in anyways. In the silence of the night I hear a click click of something walking down the hall outside the cell. I stop chewing so I can strain my ears to listen. I'm just about to reach for my bow when Max trots into the cell and jumps up onto the bed.

"Where have you been?" I ask the dog, swallowing my mouthful of food. He just stares at me so I throw him a chunk of fat before finishing the rest of the food. When I set the bowl onto the table I see a pitcher of water next to the glass that had been there. I ignore the glass altogether and simply chug down half the pitcher.

I pick my bag off the floor and dig around in it for my iPod and headphones. I have been saving my battery life for a safe place and I figured being locked in a prison is pretty safe. I wish I had the solar panels and batteries so I could recharge it but maybe if I stay here for awhile I can gather up the supplies. I lay down with my headphones on and set the volume to just above a whisper and snuggle closer to Max. I also decide that if I stay here for awhile I am going to find a better blanket then this thin wool scrap of material.

..…...…

The next time I open my eyes again the cell is significantly brighter. I'm very happy to wake up alone, besides Max who has stretched out and taken over at least half of the tiny bed. I grab the edge of the table and use it to help stabilize myself as I stand up and hop over to the toilet again. Max perks his ears up and I see his eyes open but he doesn't move from his obviously comfy spot. I do my business and stand back up, I start my short hop back to my bed then pause. Even though the bunk is the most comfortable thing I've slept on for the last couple months I really didn't feel like sitting there for another entire day staring at that gray wall again.

Using the table for as long as I can I hop over to the cell door. I'm almost completely out of breath when I get there and place the majority of my wait onto the metal bars. I also must have perked Max's curiosity because he sits up in bed and stares at me with his head turned slightly. I stick my head into the hall and all I see is more and more bars. I groan audibly, I had been hoping to see the way outside.

I don't know how long it is I stand there, I don't know why I just stand there. I just really didn't want to give in and hop back to the bed, that somehow has become my enemy in my head. Out of nowhere I here footsteps coming my way and I stick my head back out to see who it is. I see the sweet tall lady with the short gray hair from yesterday, Carol I think she told me her name was, coming my way with two bowls. My stomach grumbles so I decide I can go back and sit down. I just get settled back onto the bed when there is a polite knock on the bars.

"Come in," I sing, kind of awkwardly. She smiles kindly at me as she walks in followed by a boy, close to Zoe's age if I had to guess, carrying another pitcher of water. He kind of stands behind the older lady but watches me intently. At first I thought he was just shy but I kind of got the feel he was evaluating me, he kind of had a darkness in his eyes. Like the poor kid has seen some horrible things, but in this apocalypse who hasn't really.

"Good morning," the nice lady with food says offering me the bowl of food. "I came by last night but you were asleep."

"Yeah I found the food," I tell her taking the bowl from her. "Thank you."

The mop haired boy sets the pitcher on the table and I see him checking Maximus out. "This is Carl," Carol introduces the boy. He nods at me and goes back to watching Max who has his face buried in the bowl of scraps Carol placed in front of him.

"Nice to meet you Carl," I smile at him. I've always seemed to get along with children better than adults. Maggie would say we have Peter Pan Syndrome, and I kind of have to agree, it being caused from our lack of any sort of a childhood. "This is Max, he's friendly."

Max has already finished his food and sits staring at me waiting for mine. Carl looks at me again before taking a step closer to Max. The entire time Carol just stands by the door watching. I don't know if she is staying to make sure Max doesn't attack him, or to make sure I don't. Carl stretches his hand out towards Max and the dog sniffs it once before licking it. I can almost see Carol exhale in relief and I resist rolling my eyes, something I've actually been working on for awhile. Dylan has told me multiple times I give off a rude attitude.. Though the two didn't look alike I wondered if she was his mother.

"I better get back outside, if there isn't anything else you need," Carol says, stepping for the door.

"Actually," I say very hesitantly. "I was wondering if I'm allowed to leave this cell."

Carol, who had paused just outside the cell door, turns back to look at me with a kind smile on her face. "Dr. S. Said for you to stay off your ankle," she says. I bite the inside of my lip, that really just sounds like a big fat no to my ears. "But I'll go see if Hershel minds loaning you a pair of crutches, he has quite a collection of them now."

She turns back around and disappears before I can ask my second question. I sigh and look back to the boy, he had sat down on the stool while I was talking to Carol and Max is practically in his lap trying to get closer to lick the kid's face. I smile, seeing Max so happy is better then my own happiness. I knew Dylan had to be missing his dog more then anything but I know that its been Max that has kept me alive in the last two months.

"Let the poor boy breath, Maximus," I laugh as Max lands a lick directly onto the boy's mouth. Max looks at me but goes right back to smothering the boy.

"Its okay," Carl says as he manages to push Max away from his face. Max sits down and shakes his massive head before he starts circling thee stool sniffing the boy all over. "I've always wanted a dog."

"I did too when I was your age," I tell him as Max finishes learning the kid's scent and sits back down by the boy's knee. "He really likes you."

Carl smiles at me while petting Max gently on his head. Max closes his eyes like he's in heaven and rests his fat head on Carl's knee. I pick my backpack up off the floor and stuff my iPod and headphones inside it. I start to wish I hadn't stood so long at the cell door and had a wake and baker instead. If it was anybody else in here with me I would anyways but I had enough respect not to in front of a child. Not that I disrespected any adult I just stopped caring about what people thought of me after the first corpse tried to eat me.

I miss the sound of footsteps because suddenly my food lady is back but this time she has a pair of crutches in her hand instead of food. I eagerly take them from her and use them to assist me in standing up. They are already the perfect height for me so I wouldn't have to mess with them, too much. Carol comes to stand next to me, I figure to help me if I start to fall but there are pretty much like riding a bike. I swing my pack onto my shoulders but on faith I decide to leave my bow, I also have my knife.

"I spent the majority of my junior year of high school walking with these and most '07 with them," I say as I carefully maneuver my way first past Carol then Carl. "The former because I got pretty banged up," I pause for a split second. "Car crash."

I smile and pray it looks sincere. I wait outside the cell door for either of them to lead me to some sunlight.

"What about the other time?" Carl asks me as they walk past me, Max right behind Carl. I smile, now I know I'll be getting along with the boy, I just love follow up questions.

"I was stupid, and drunk, very very drunk," I say, smiling. I also had been very high on mushrooms but I figured that part could afford to be excluded. "And my stupid also drunk friends and I were playing hide and seek in the dark. Something I don't recommend if you are sober especially when you are in the middle of a desert."

"What happened?" Carl asks as soon as I stop talking. I see a slightly amused look on Carol's face, I had hoped it would be amused and not concerned, or annoyed.

"Naturally, I tripped in a rabbit hole and broke my tibia. I sat there for two hours giggling that someone must have closed the entrance to Wonderland before my friends found me and drug me to the emergency room."

Both Carol and Carl laugh out loudly and I smile. I always feel better making people happy versus making people angry at me. I've always been a very passive person and its not uncommon for me to hide when somebody starts yelling. Carol holds open a large metal door for me to limp my way through and out into glorious, glorious sun shine. I squint my eyes against the bright light, wishing I had a third arm to reach into my bag for my sun glasses but my eyes adjust pretty fast.

My first completely clear minded look around the prison yard I'm pretty impressed. I remember little bits of being drug out of the back seat of Daryl Dixon's car and carried inside but most were just random things that caught my drug addled brain's attention. There are several little pavilions built just outside the prison doors. The majority of them have picnic table set up underneath them but I see one has what looks like a giant oven built up and I think another has something like a laundry station built. The most impressive thing though, by far, is the amount of people I see wondering about. There only a few I can see that aren't doing anything specific, I see a picnic table with a group of small children sitting down reading with a couple adults standing by keeping watch.

"How many people living here?" I ask.

"39,' Carol answers touching my shoulder gently as she walks past me. "Counting you."

She keeps walking and is almost to the kitchen pavilion before I think of something to say. Always a minute to late and a dollar short is what Freddie always tells me. I look over to see Carl is still standing next to me with Max standing between us. His hand sits on top of Max's giant head but he's staring at something, not really paying attention to me or the dog. I look out past the first fence, which I hadn't even notice in the first place, to see a makeshift barn and fence built along with quite a bit of upturned dirt.

"Is that a garden?" I ask astounded. "Like you guys are actually growing fruits and vegetables?"

Carl tears his eyes from whatever he had been watching to give me a small smile. "Yeah me and my dad are doing that."

"Incredible," I almost want to cry. Ever since this happened I just assumed that we were going to scavenge until people had to fist fight for thee last can of tuna. I never believed someone would be able to find a place that was safe enough, secure enough, to actually try to rebuild. Of course we always talked of doing it, but we learned that staying anywhere more then a week was dangerous. Even if we found a place we thought we could secure Dylan always said it was bester safe than sorry and after one week we had to move on. Merle holds us about his camp a couple times, Woodberry I think he called it, but whenever we asked if we could go he just said no. That last time I saw him I had asked and he did tell me that things were starting to crumble.

"Does Max know how to fetch?" Carl asks me, dragging me back to reality.

"He used too," I smile. "Let's go find out if he remembers"


	6. Chapter 6

The week really flies by, mostly I believe because of Carl. He spends everyday with me, well Max but Max never leaves my side, showing me around and introducing me to everyone we come across. I don't see Daryl Dixon again and for some reason I'm a bit disappointed. I ask Carl a few question about him, actually I ask Carl a lot of questions. At first he seems a bit reluctant answering them all so I change my approach and instead I tell him all about myself. I'm telling him about the night Mr. Anderson and the others died when he finally starts talking without me asking a direct question.

We are down by the garden throwing a stick for Max to chase. Rick Grimes, who is in charge of the garden as well as Carl's father, has had to tell us to be careful twice know when we've sent the stick in the opposite direction and caused Max to plow through the mounds of dirt. Carl is in the middle of trying the pry the stick from Max's jaws while I talk. I've been talking non stop all morning, saying just about anything that pops into my head. I'm at the part when Mr. Anderson dying and asking me to make sure he didn't come back when Carl sits down beside me with less then a quarter of the stick in his hand.

"You don't have to feel guilty about doing that," he tells me while I try to discreetly dry my eyes. "We've all had to do that at least once."

I'm able to stop myself from asking any questions out of fear I would make him closeup again. He picks at the splintered end of the stick for a minute making me chew on the inside of my lip to stop myself from saying anything. Finally though he looks up at me, pushing the stick into the ground, and says, "it was my mother."

I bite my lip a little harder resisting the urge to give the poor kid a hug. Here I am blubbering about killing my childhood neighbor all the while this kid has had to shoot his own mother.

"I knew you wanted to ask," he says breaking the slightly awkward silence. "And you don't have to feel bad for me. She was already dead."

"I'm still sorry," I say, it comes out just above a whisper. At this time Max throws himself across both of our laps and rolls so his belly is facing upwards. Carl doesn't miss a beat and starts scratching his chest making Max's close close and his tongue hangs out the side of his mouth. "How did it happen? If you don't mind me asking."

"She was giving birth to my sister." I don't know what I was expecting him to say, she had been bit by a corpse most likely, but I do not expect him to say that. These people just keep getting crazier and crazier.

"You have a baby sister?" I ask dumbfounded. Carl simply nods his head while continuing to scratch Max. I want desperately to ask if I can meet the baby Grimes but I decide to save it until I've been officially permitted residency.

After that day me and Carl's conversations have gone a lot smoother. I no longer refrain from quizzing him on their group and in return he takes up asking me questions on my own missing friends. Still, though, whenever Carl seems to just fall silent I'm more then happy to fill the silence with another random story. In fact it only takes two days until the first time Carl calls me weird.

"Then there was this one guy I knew," I'm telling him as he wrestles Max, yet again, for a stick. "His name was Smurf, well not his real name but you never want to ask him his real name, and he had this little cute dog that he named Cracker. He was always kind of fun to hang out with , mostly because he always, always had a stupid joke. A lot of them got repeated but they were still funny."

Carl had managed to get the stick, without breaking it into pieces, and is standing there staring at me. "You're weird Lorelei," he tells me smiling, so I take it as a compliment and I smile back.

The Dr. And Hershel check on me every morning to make sure it's healing correctly and to warn me not to put any unnecessary pressure on it. But as soon as they leave and before I know Carl is going to show up I carefully try to stand and see just how bad it really is. The first several days I barely put any of my weight on it and I have to bite my lip to keep from crying out but then on the fifth day I'm actually able to send and take a step. After that every night before I go to bed I try to exercise it. I'm still not one hundred percent I'm going to be allowed to stay, or even if I really want to, but if they do invite me to stay I want to start helping out asap.

Exactly seven days after twisting my ankle the good doctor and Hershel show up at my cell, Hershel with a fresh bowl of gruel, for my daily examination. I have already been up walking around and have given myself the okay to no longer need the crutches so I hope that Dr. S agrees.

"Good morning Lorelei," Hershel says handing me over the bowl. I shovel in two bites as soon as I take the bowl so I have to mumble my good morning around a mouthful of the food. Both of them kind of chuckle at me as they start to look my ankle over. The swelling and bruises have disappeared completely and it looks exactly the same as my other ankle.

"Can you stand up for me?" Dr. S asks and I jump to my feet as I scoop the rest of my breakfast into my mouth. "Any pain?"

I set my bowl down and I do a little jig. "Not a bit."

Hershel just shakes his head at me, but with a smile, and says, "well I think she's just fine, don't you Caleb?"

"Just fine Hershel," Dr. S says smiling as he stands up. Both men tell me good bye before exiting my cell. I check my watch and figure I still have a bit before Carl shows up, he normally comes about the same time after his dad sends him out of the garden telling him to go play. I grab my bag off of the table and take out a little tin that I his three joints in that I rolled on night out of boredom.

"Watch it, Max," I tell the dog. He heaves a sigh at me as he slide off the bed to sit at the cell door. I scoot back on my bunk, pulling my blanket onto my lap and wishing I could get comfortable, and I light the joint hanging out of my mouth.

Just as I bring my lighter to my mouth Maximus lets out an excited little yelp at the exact moment I hear "what're you doin'," come from the door of my cell. I have a deja vu moment when I look up to see Daryl Dixon standing at the door with Max dancing around his feet.

"Really?" I ask incredulously, snuffing the joint out on the brick wall. "I'm mean, really?!"

I glare daggers at Max as he continues to wag his tail and happily dances around Daryl even as he moves to sit down. I shove everything into my bag and quickly zip up the pocket, suddenly feeling nervous. Max settles down a bit and sits down, looking between Daryl and I. I have to resist yelling bad dog at him, instead I force myself to look up from my bag and at Daryl Dixon.

"What do you like hang out there just waiting for me to start smoking?" I ask, slightly afraid he's going to say yes. He literally snorts and rolls his eyes at me before pulling my pistol out of the band of his jeans and handing it to me.

"Hershel said you can walk again," he says, and it doesn't sound like a question.

"Yep," I say, hoping I sound cheerful. "I was just given a clean bill of health."

He nods his head like he already knew that but doesn't say anything else. I check the clip of my gun, finding it still fully loaded I slid it back into my holster. "Thank you," I say, this time knowing I sound sincere.

"I got a group going out on a run and we could use another person," he says and I think its the longest sentence I've heard him say. "Carl told me that you might want to go."

"Carl told you that?" I smile, maybe Carl and I are better friends then even I thought. "I'd love too."

Daryl nods his head again and stands up. "Be down at the gate in twenty minutes," he says, heading towards the door.

"Can I bring Max?" I ask quickly before he disappears. "He counts as a person really, but he can just stay I'm sure Carl would love to watch him."

"I'll see if there's room," is all he says before he is gone like I knew he would.

I'm pretty excited as I rip open the top of my bag and dig past the garbage to the clothes I have stuffed at the bottom. I pull out a pair of black skinny jeans, a clean tank top, and a thick pull over hoodie; I set everything next to me on the bunk then dig around more for my utility belt. I decide to leave my backpack in my cell, actually I decide to leave it so I'm free to pick up a new bag, but everything that I would need fits into my belt. Caroline sewed them for us several years ago and they've really come in handy since the apocalypse.

I get back to my feet, sliding my filthy skirt to the ground and unbuttoning my comfy jeans. I hate wearing my skinny jeans but they have a lot less of a chance getting caught on anything or slowing me down. I get redressed as quick as I can, fearing that I may have missed my twenty minute deadline since I forgot to time myself. When I start tying my boots on I see Max's tail whip back and forth and he starts his excited little dance that he does when he thinks he is going somewhere. I unhook his harness from the strap on my pack and wrestles him into it.

"If you want to go you have to wear it," I huff, completely out of breathe from manhandling the giant dog. His ears drop slightly when I finally get it buckled up but his tail continues to wag excitedly. I buckle my belt around my waist, stuffing my tin and two small prescription bottles into a pocket, and grab my bow and arrows on my way out of the cell. I open a different pouch on the belt and pull out a pair of Meggie's sunglasses, I swallow the lump in my throat as I slid them on because I really didn't need to show up in tears.

Its a bit weird walking around outside without Carl escorting me and I'm a bit worried that I might get lost. I find my way to the first gate and I'm relieved to find a black car waiting there along with Daryl Dixon and a young Asian boy in the middle of a heated conversation. I snap my fingers at Max to get him to sit instead of running up to Daryl and licking him. I really dislike confrontations and there is no way in hell I'm going to interrupt them. My first instinct actually is to turn around and go back inside, instead I try to make myself look occupied by fiddling with pockets on my belt. By the time their voices die down I've found a pair of kitty cat sunglasses, that I slip over my eyes, and a baggy with jerky and dehydrated fruit along with a couple granola bars. I drop a piece of the jerky to Max and stick a chunk of the fruit in my own mouth. I was kind of hoping to find a hidden pack of cigarettes but I just add that to my mental list of things I want to find while I'm out today.

"Hi," Carl says suddenly from next to me, making me jump and drop my bag of meat and fruit.

"What is with you people and sneaking up on me," I take a deep breath to try to calm my nerves. The little brat just laughs at me but he does pick up my jerky, making me feel a bit guilty for thinking about swatting him. I tell him thanks and even offer him one of my granola bars.

"Glenn doesn't want Max to go," Carl tells me as he unwraps the bar. I kind of have a hunch that that's what the argument was about. I really do want Maximus to come with me but I also don't want to cause problems and get asked to leave. These people genuinely seem like good people and I could really use good people in my life right now.

"That's OK," I say after a minute. "You will take care of him for me, won't you?"

"No need," Daryl says walking up on us. "I made room for the dog."

I bite my lip, feeling a bit awkward. I've been thrown between a rock and a hard place. Almost like he knows what is being discussed, Max looks up at me and licks my fingers. I chew on the inside of my lip as I weigh the pros and cons of the situation. "Thank you," I tell Daryl but I drop to my knee in front of Max and put my hands on either side of his fat head. "You are going to stay here Maximus," I say giving him a kiss on his forehead before standing back up.

I walk over to the car, turning my back on Max's crestfallen expression, and climb into the back seat before I can change my mind. I hear Carl call Max as I assume he leads the dog away from the car, which I am grateful for, but I don't know for sure because I refuse to look up from my hands. Not even when I feel the car shake as the rest of the party climbs inside and I hear the doors slam shut. I'm glad I had put the sunglasses on so no one can see my eyes turn red as I fight back the tears. I know I'm being a baby that we are going to be back before nightfall, I hope, but all I can think of is the fact I didn't warn Carl about how bad Max snores most nights.


End file.
